Myopia is what most people call being shortsighted. In myopia the
distance object is focused in front of the retina so the image is
blurry.
Generally, myopia is an inherited trait that is often detected in
school-age children. Because the eye continues to grow during childhood,
it typically progresses until about age 20. Changes in the length
of the eye may require new eyeglasses as frequently as every six months,
much like needing larger shoes to fit growing feet. Between the ages
of 20 and 40, there is usually very little change, although nearsightedness
may also develop in adults due to health conditions such as diabetes.
Most research supports the theory that nearsightedness is hereditary.
There is also growing evidence that it is influenced by the visual
stress of too much close work.
Treatment:
Myopia is best treated with eyeglasses or contact lenses that correct
nearsightedness by bending the visual images that enter the eyes,
focusing the images correctly at the back of the eye. The lenses do
not cure the myopia but they bend light rays to into focus on the
retina. Depending on the amount of nearsightedness, you may only need
to wear glasses or contact lenses for certain activities, like watching
a movie or driving a car.
Recently, some clinical trials showed that the progression of myopia
can be slowed by wearing certain special designed glasses or contact
lenses.
Another option for treating nearsightedness is orthokeratology (ortho-k),
also known as corneal refractive therapy. It is a non-surgical procedure
that involves wearing a series of specially designed rigid contact
lenses to gradually reshape the curvature of your cornea. The lenses
place pressure on the cornea to flatten it. Although Ortho-k temporarily
improves the sight by bending the light entering the eye to be focus
on the retina, after the use of the lenses is discontinued, the cornea
returns to its original shape and myopia returns.
Medical treatment for myopia with the use of special drops (atropine)
and bifocal glasses has been studied in recent years and appears to
be not so effective.
Laser procedures are also a possible treatment for nearsightedness
in adults. They involve reshaping the cornea by removing a small amount
of eye tissue.
For people with higher levels of nearsightedness, other refractive
surgery procedures are now available. These procedures involve implanting
a small lens with the desired optical correction directly either inside
the eye in front of the natural lens or replacing the natural lens.
These procedures are similar to one used for cataract surgery patients.
